Heather Wilson

Associate-Applications Developer

Milestones

Realtor role didn't fit well; returned to college to pursue a Physics degree.

Took an introductory computer science class as an elective. Fell in love.

Switched major to Computer Science.

Developed a passion for web development my Junior year in a PHP class.

Graduated in 2013 with a degree in Computer Science.

Education

High School

BachelorComputer ScienceUniversity of North Texas

Career

Associate-Applications Developer

Develop web applications to help others streamline their current processes.

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Technology

Engineering

Working with Others

Day to Day

My main objective throughout the day is to complete as much development of applications as possible. Team meetings are sprinkled throughout the day, but mostly I'm either plugged in at my desk or collaborating with others to complete the applications we've been assigned.

Skills & Qualities Beyond School

The skills most crucial to my job are web development and collaboration with others. It also requires a certain degree of both professionalism and understanding to express technical concepts to others in a non-technical way.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for high school students

Start developing skills in web development and programming on your own. There are numerous resources available online that will give you a taste of what a life of programming is like, and help you to decide if it's the correct path to take.

Recommended Education

My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:

BachelorComputer Science

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

"You're not talented enough to be a programmer."

I recall numerous times during my college career that I felt everyone else was grasping concepts more easily than I was. I felt inadequate and almost dropped out of college on more than one occasion. The truth was that everyone else was as confused as I was. Computer Science introduces a new way of thinking that not many people naturally catch on to. Persistence is key, and know that everyone is figuring these things out as they go as well. You're not alone.